Near to Thy Heart
by Assassin In Black 1783
Summary: Caught between Dreams and Reality, Altair struggles with a broken heart. But in the end, the difference between dreams and reality. Is as different from Life, and Death. A teaser story, playing a small part in events to come in Part II of the story of Elinana Doricent. If confused, check Lightning & Time Part I.


**Near to Thy Heart, is a more of a teaser for Part II, and for something else….(man I'm wicked if mystery and riddles!) This is also a break from writing the next chapter of Lightning and Time Part I. Plus it gives you all something to nibble on, while trying to piece together my puzzle! (Mahahahaa!) **

**Oh and keep on eye open for another terser story with Ezio! ****Always and Forever.**** (I might change it.) **

**And yes, okay, I admit; I blooming loved writing with Ezio because well, he was what got me into the Assassin thing! It's hard to let go! (Crying a water fall). **

**And I feel like I didn't give Elinana and** **Altaïr vary much materiel for the relationship, so here you go!**

**P.S. I don't own Assassin's Creed**

**Enjoy! **

High in the pale blue sky, hang a yellow sun; shining it's blistering light on the city of Alamut. Altaïr slowly walked the bustling streets that flowed like water around a rock. But he paid no mind to the hustle, and noise. For his mind was else where; in the distant walls of Masyaf, where he lost his youngest son, and beloved wife.

His feet carried him to a small garden like place, where conversing mothers let their children play. Altaïr found himself gazing out to the hazy horizon, over smoking chimneys, past slender stone towers, to beyond.

"Why did I not destroy the Apple?" he inwardly asked himself with scorn. "Why did I not listen to you Maria, or you Elinana? With that story from your home, about a Dark Lord that crafting a ring that makes you invisible…why…why?" His thoughts chanted as he bowed his head.

A soft cooing song of a bird touched his ears. Rising his head, he saw a pure white Dove, that lock eye contact with him. As they starred at one another, his head felt heavy, and a noise pulsed like drums in his ears.

"What?" he drowsily thought, feeling as if he could melt in to the stone bench in which he sat. _"What is…?"_

"_Father…"_

"_I know that voice…"_ he thought, sluggishly trying to turn to his son, but the world swirled fast as he felt the sensation of falling. It only stopped when he hit a heard surface, and lied helpless as the world blurred and faded to darkness.

"_Brother!"_ called a cheerful, kind voice that he hadn't heard in years. "Come on sleepy head, you promised me you would take me on a mission to day!"

He drowsily opened his eyes to see a blurred face above him. "Come on Sleeping Beauty, up and at 'em!"

Altaïr blinked, and rubbed his eyes. Then suddenly found himself looking up to the elegantly shaped face, with after storm gray, eyes. "Elinana!" he breathed, then sat up and polled her into his arms. "You are alive!"

"Yea, but not for much longer, if you keep cutting of my air!" she gasped, and he quickly retested her, but held firmly to her shoulders.

"Elinana." smiled, unable to believe his eyes.

"Altaïr," she slightly tilled her head, and eyed him. "Are you felling ill? If you are, we can pouch the mission till you're feeling better."

"What was that?" came another voice that he never thought he'd hear again so soon. Out from another part of the small house, emerged Maria; brown hair braided and pinned past her hair line, untouched from age. And bouncing in her arms was wide, brown eyed, baby sef.

Altaïr released Elinana as he rose, and slowly approached his wife and son. "Husband, are you ill? You look as though you have seen a ghost."

"I…just drowsy my Love." He smiled, cupped her face, leaned in and kissed his wife.

"I see," she smiled, once their lips slowly parted. "Elin Dear, would you ready the horses?"

"Alright," she smiled coyly. "I'll let you two be _alone_."

He turned to her to protest, but his wife stopped him, and Elinana left.

"Altaïr honestly?" she eyed him the way she did Darim, when he missed behaved. "You know well that she needs this, after the _incident_!"

"Incident?" he asked with concern, and confusion.

"Yes, her failed attempt on returning to her home! Remember?" just then he saw a dim haze of a vision: Elinana holding onto Hercules, as a blinding flash blinded him. Then he was kneeling over her still, pale body, and gingerly took her in his arms.

The vision flashed to him sitting by Elinana's sleeping form. Holding her hand and soothing her ribbon like hair. His vision then flashed back to the present.

"You better stop this behavior, and stand strong as an example for her!" she strongly shoved him to the door.

"Go on, before she decides to go off on her own!"

He looked to her, and his son. Smiling, he left. Altaïr sprinted along the main path through Masyaf to the stables, just outside the main gate.

"There you are!" Elinana smiled playfully. "I was begging to consider going ahead. _But_ then I realized, that you would have my head for it, when you caught up with me." she smiled.

"You where right to think that." he smiled, and eyed her.

"Come on," she laughed. "I want to get moving, I've been coped up for centuries!"

She gently kicked the sides of a white stallion, not waiting for him to mount the bay stallion, and he took of after her.

**Dusk**

Under the reaching branches of a small tree, Altaïr sat by Elinana who slept soundly. Curled up like a kitten. He gently massaged her shoulder, and sighing presently.

"Was it all a dream?" he thought. "Elinana leaving, and Maria's and Sef's deaths? It must have been…Surly?" his eyes felt heavy, and his head nodded as the arms of sleep slowly won him over.

"_This is all you can do for him?"_ Darim's voice was mixed with worry, grief, and anger.

"_Yes,"_ replied a rusty voice of a stranger. _"I am sorry, but he is in God's hands now. And it is up to him to decide if _he_ whishes to live."_

In the darkness Altaïr could hear his son give a frustrated sigh. _"Thank you. I will send for you if there is any change." _

Altaïr heard footsteps, but could not move, could not call out to his son. He heard a door open and close, then footsteps retuned to his side.

"_Father,"_ he heard his son plead, much the way when he was young. _"You have to fight this, you have to…I am sorry I left you, I am so sorry Father. But I am here now, and I need you to fight. I know it is heard to lose Mother and Sef. But that is why you have to fight, Father!"_

Altaïr's heart broke to hear his son growing nearing a sob.

"_I love you, Father."_

"_Son!"_ Altaïr's thoughts yelled. _"No! Your Mother and brother is alive I saw them! And Elinana, she is here! They all are alive! Son, Son!"_

"Son!" Altaïr shut out of the realm of Dreams, or back into it.

"Altaïr," he turned to the concerned Elinana. "It's just a dream." she slowly approached him.

"What is?" his voice shook. "The world where you, never left, and where Maria and Sef are a live? Or where she and my son are dead, and you could vary well be as well?"

The world shifted around them, as if to answer. As he tried to take it all in, but he lost track of where she had gone.

"Elinana!" he turned a three-sixty, and the world morphed into a corridor that he remembered too well; Solomon's Temple.

Through the darkness, a blood piercing scream of pain echo to his ears. "Elinana!" he called out, as he ran along the dark passage that leads to the part of the temple that he failed the Brotherhood in. But just at the mouth of the way into the dimly light hall, he was met by ebony, iron bars.

"No!" he cried as he saw a ring of men that he killed long ago stand around Elinana that had a bloodied, tore back.

"You bustards!" he yelled fiercely at them through the cold bars. "I will kill all again for harming her!"

"There you are," he heard a familiar, French accent behind him. Turning around, he was met by an iron like hand that squeezed his throat. "Time to join me in hell, Assassin." snarled Robert de Sable.

Altaïr tried to break free, but it was all in vain. His strength and movements slowly failed him, as his dying heart beat pulsed in his ears.

"Father!" he heard is son yell.

"Brother!" he heard Elinana cry.

"_Altaïr," _a kind, and oddly familiar voice; gently said his name that came from the growing light. _"Do you whish to she her?"_

"_What?"_ he asked in confusion. And puzzled to find he was free of Robert's grasp.

"_The Dove you taught to fly. Do you want to see her again?"_

"_Yes! Is she alive? Is she well? Did she make it home?" _his questions flowed out like water.

"_As long as she listens to her heart, and the ones she cares for; then yes. Her path is completed, and incomplete, and not yet taken."_

"_Stop speaking in riddles!" he snapped. _

"_If you whish to see her again, then fight." _

The light faded back to the dim lit corridor, back in the death hold of the Templar. But this time, the fire in his body, fouled his strength. Altaïr slowly tore Robert's hand from his neck, in a bone crushing grip. Dancing around the Templar, he threw him to the bars that shattered to pieces like a stone to glass. Leaping into then air, Altaïr landed on one the Templars. He dodged a deadly swing of a cured blade, and quickly fought and killed his old targets in a rain of crimson.

Once the last corpse fell to the ground, Altaïr turned to Elinana. And to his wonder, her bonds vanished, and a white light emanated off of her. Holding a hand up to shield his eyes, he caught moment of a wing. The light grew, and grew as his body slowly fell on to a comfortable mattress. And his limbs felt like they where stone.

The light subsided, till he could make out his surroundings. His dusty room, cluttered with unwashed clothes, parchments, and books. And a form was just out of his sight. Sluggishly looking down, he saw his son; sleeping soundly with his head resting near his hand.

Though his hand seemed like he had lead for bones, Altaïr raised his hand, and soothed his son's feather like hair. Darim monde, and slowly opened his. Then shut up when he realized his father was wake. "Father!"

"Son." Altaïr's voice was as dry as his throat, and drowsy as his eyes. And with what strength he had, he sat up and polled his son into his arms. "I love you as well my boy."

A single tear fell from Altaïr's and Darim's closed eyes, as they embraced for a long while.

**A day later**

Still weakened from his Heatstroke, Altaïr sat in his bed, reading one of his many books; only raising his head to the cooing song in the open window. "Are you the one that lead Darim to me?" he asked the Dove.

She cooed, and gracefully flew to the desk. Looking to him she cooed, then lightly tapped her small beak to a leather book that he recognized was his Codex.

He tilted his head to what the beautiful creature was trying to tell him. Placing his book to the side, he slowly got out of the bed, and made it to his desk. The char creaked as he sat down, and polled the Codex before him.

The Dove cooed, then gracefully flapped her delicate wings, and glided to a sack that he knew held the Apple of Eden. She grabbed the sack with her tiny feet, and flapped with all her might, and carried the Apple to him.

With an out starched hand, he took the Apple, and she flapped to the window. Nestled there, she watched him take the Apple out and he looked to her.

He smiled, and breathed a small laugh. "Is this you saying, to get to work on finding what I can?"

She gave a coo, as if to say yes.

"All right, I have nothing else really to do with myself. I might as well put this blasted thing to use. And who knows," he looked to the Dove. "I might come across something for, or about Elinana."

**Fin**

**And I'm likely to edit it in the future. Hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review. **


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